Apparatus for making and securing bag handles



Oct. 21, 1941.

R. s. CLANCY APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND SECURING BAG HANDLES Filed April 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Roam/cm 5. CLA Ncy,

Oct. 21, 1941. R. s. CLANCY v APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND SECURING BAG HANDLES Filed April 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' KOOER/CK S. CLA/VCY,

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED S ATES PATENT: OFF-ICE arraaarus roe MAKING AND saounmo me HANDLES Roderick S. Clancy, Los Angeles, Calif. Application April 10, 1940, Serial No. 328,883 13 Claims. (01. 93-1) My invention relates to paper bag handles and method and apparatus for fastening same, and its objects are to produce a new and improved bag handle formed from a double layer, or two layers of paper, capable of being stapled to the mouth portion of a bag; to stamp out from a roll of double thickness of paper a plurality of handles in gang formation; to advance and secure each of said handles to-the mouth of a paper bag and to effect a closure of of said handles readily to be torn and separated from the gang; to form a hand hold in each of said handles for the efiective carrying of a loaded paper bag and at the same time affording a guard and protection for the fingers of the carrier; to arrange the operative parts of my improved apparatus in close sequential order and preserve the p. -oper adjustment thereof, and in general to slinplify and render more effective the operation of the several parts of said apparatus. Other objects and novel inventive from the drawings and as hereinafter more partioularly set forth and described.

At the present-time, there exists a great need, where paper bags are used for containers in the retail trade, for an efficient apparatus, not only for closing the mouths of paper bags, but also for providing a handle for the customer by which he can carry the bag without injury gers. The ordinary paper bag, in which groceries, drygoods, hardware or other commodities are dispensed to the trade, is usually left open, or only partially closed, with the result that constant care has'to be exercised to prevent the of its contents, and to prevent its being broken open. Also no handhold is provided upon the bag itself whereby the same can be readily carried from place to place. Through the use of my invention, however, anyone is enabled to obviate all of these objections in a manner which I-believe to be novel in the art.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred fOl'lllvOf mv invention, in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved apparatus, showing the roll of double thicknesses of pa er. handles and the stapling machine and adjacent, mechanism for closing the mouth of the bag and attaching the bag handle thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective, showing one of the handles attached to a bag;

escape the same; to permit each concepts will appear drawn therefrom. The roller I2 the die for stamping therefrom the bag v5 -struction being similar Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section of .the stapling machine and adjacent parts;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the handles in gang formation, the stapling machine being shown removed for the purpose of better illustration:

Fig. 5 is an end View on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 of the parts of the structure shown in Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a view of a modification of the distending fingers for holding open the layers of the handle for the insertion therein and the stapling thereto of the top of the bag; I

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of modifications of my improved bag handles, tion, each handle being in one piece, the two layers of paper being connected at the top of the handle.

Referring to the drawings, upon a base 1, which may be a box, bench or table and of any suitable material, I mount at one end thereof the paper roll 8, the axle 9 of which is journalled in bearings It! in the brackets ,II secured to the end of the base 1. This roll is made up of two layers of paper A and B wound thereon, and is atranged so that such double layer may readily be drawn therefrom, the roller I 2 serving as a' friction means to hold in place the layers of paper upon the rolls 8, and to prevent'the same from running wild or from being too rapidly is mounted upon the upper ends of the arms l3, the lower ends thereof being pivotally mounted upon pins l4 secured to each of the sides of the base 1. To ensure the frictional contact of the roller I! with 3 the outer layers of paper of the roll 8, I preferably supply each of said arms l3, with springs l5 ailixed thereto and to the pins l4 as shown.

After being unwound from the roll 8, the lower layer of the double thickness of paper contacts the. table It formed by the upper face of the base 1, and both thicknesses of paper resting flatly upon the rear surface of said table are free to be pulled over the said surface toward the front of said table, and to pass under the die llwhich is' of the usual form of construction, and which is provided with a knife or' cutting plate for cutting out of the said double thickness of paper in the shape shown in Fig. 4 the paper handles l8. As shown in Fig. 1, the die is hingedly mounted upon the base I, by means of feet l9 integral with the casing of said die, which feet are attached to arms 20 pivotally connected with two ears 2| secured to the base I. Only-one of these arms Ill-and connection is shown in Fig. 1, the conarranged in gang formaon the opposite side of gers, so that the bag 25 may said die. Normally, in conformance with wellknown forms of construction, the said arms 20 are held by a spring in raised position, which spring may be incorporated within said pivotal connection, or take any other common recognized form.

Firmly amxed contact with the face thereof, is the double stapling machine 22, which is of any form heretofore usually employed in the art, and which is rigidly connected with the die l'l so as to move downwardly or upwardly therewith upon its hinged attachment aforesaid to the base 1; the knob 23 serving, when struck means for actuating the die i1 to cut out the form of handle it, and at the same time to afiix the staples in attaching a handle to a bag in the manner hereinafter described.

For the purpose of holding open the ends of the two layers of paper A and B, as they are presented to the front of my apparatus, I supply the resilient fingers 24, which serve to hold said layers apart sufiiciently to permit top edges of the bag 25 to be inserted therebetween, both bag and handle .to be stapled together. These fingers 24 are secured at their outer ends to the table It, and are of such size and construction as to ensure and maintain ample space between layers A and B for the purp se aforesaid, although yielding sufiiciently to permit close stapling of said layers to the top of the bag. If desired, such fingers may be constructed as shown in Fig. 6, in which case, the fingers are held at an angle with yielding tension, and are forced flat as the stapler descends and affixes the staples; the counter weight 28 serving normally to hold the finger 24 in the desired angular position.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a preferred form of my improved paper bag handle it, here shown in series or gang procession. Each handle I8 is preferably formed with rounded edges 21, and a slot 28 perforated through part of the division line between handles, said division line otherwise being weakened to permit tearing the handles apart. Each handle is also given by the knife of the die the cuts 29, perforations 30, and scoring 3 I, forming when pressed out the tabs 32. While I prefer to construct a as shown in Fig. 4, this form may be changed, and the modifications shown in Figs. '1 or 8 adopted, in which case each blank is formed in one piece of paper which can be folded to present a connected handle at the top, in place of the two separate layers of paper.

The bags 25 may be of any well known form in commercial use for dispensing goods. To accomplish the best results, however, I prefer to use a bag with a flap 2;, over the top of the bag. and when-stapled to the handle ll, form a morebffective means of closure. As shown in Fig. 2, one layer of tab 42 may be folded outwardly as shown, and the other file of detachable handles which can befolded" to the said die i1 and in close with the hand, as a manual brou ht to ether and to allow layer folded in the other direction, the two forming a handhold with smooth contact for the finbe easily carried without discomfort or injury. [In operating my improved apparatus, the .exposed end of the double layer of paper is pulled off the roll and such double layer is drawn forward upon the i1, when the first handle is cut therefrom. Thereupon the paper is, again drawn just far enough forward to remove such handle from the die. and the operation is repeated to form suctable it until it is under the die cessive handles in gang formation, until the outer edge of the first handle abuts against the stop latch 36, so that engagement of the tapered extension 34 upon the underside of the stapler 22 can accurately be made with theslot 28 of the handle adjacent thereto, and also with the slot 35 in the table l6, which slot is positioned to register with and receive such extension. The gang of cut handles so being in operative podtion, the top of the bag 25 is brought upwardly over the guides 38 in the direction of'the stapler so that the edge of said top abuts against the stops 39, while the middle portion of said top is introduced between the layers A and B of the outer handle. The bag and handle being so in proper adjustment. the stapler is then pressed down and the staples 31 aflixed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereupon the handle is firmly fastened to the bag and operative for the purp ses of my invention. upon such handle being torn from the gang.

To facilitate the ready removal of the outermost handle after it has been stapled to a bag in the manner above described, I prefer to employ the spring latch 34, which is equipped with the spring 42 engaging with shank 4| of said latch within the box 4|. secured to the base I; such latch being so positioned as to readily en ine with one of slots 22 adjacent thereto. (See Fig. 1.) 'Such engagement having been eifected after the stapling operation has taken place, the outermost handle may be easily torn oi! and separated-from the gang, the scoring therebetween readily permitting such separation, and the spring latch operating as a stop to prevent the gang being drawn out of operative position beneath the die and stapler. By successive repetitions of the aforesaid modes of operation, further 'bag handles may be died out and stapled to bags adapted to or suitable therefor, until the entire roll of paper has been consumed.

While I have heretofore shown and described an apparatus in which the die and stapler are preferably rigidly connected and hinged to the table so as to move downwardly and upwardly together in close association, such connection, as is obvious, may be dispensed with by separating the said die and stapler, and hingedly moimting each of said elements so that'the same can operate independently in the manner well known in the art; it being desirable, however, where'the successive operation of dieing and stapling are required, to have the die and stapler in the same relative positions shown in the drawings.

In making the forms of bag handle shown in Figs. "1 and 8, a die separate and different from that shown in Fig. 1 would be req 1 0 although suchhandle when formed and separated from its gang could readily be stapled to a bag upon my apparatus in the manner hereinbefore described. In fact, if desired, the die shown as forming part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 could be dispensed with, and such apparatus used entirely for the purpose of attaching the handle to the ba the cutting out of the said forms being accomplished prior thereto as a separate op- *eration.

Where in the appended claims a die is referred to, I desire to be understood as including within the meaning of such word adequate and suitable means for cutting out bag handles from a single or a double thickness of material. including knives, perforators or scorers, and other instrudesirable for mchpu p lency of the claims 'Patent is:

and means mounted on said base for fastening said bag handles each to the top of a bag.

2. In an apparatus for making bag handles, a

base, a die for top of a bag.

3. In an apparatus formaking bag handles, a base, means for moimting and permitting to be unrolled thereon a roll of double thicknesses of sheet ma ,means secured to said base for cutting out bag handles from said sheet material, and means mounted on said base adjacent thereto for fastening said bag handles each to the top of a bag. i

4. In an apparatus for'making bag handles, a base, means for moimting and permitting to be unrolled thereon a roll of double thicknesses of sheet material, a die secured to said base for out- 5. In an apparatus for making bag handles, a base, means for mounting thereon and permitting to be unrolled upon said base ing the gang of bag handles to said machine,

and means for guiding said bag top to said stapling machine.

-7. In an apparatus for making bag handles, a

/ gang of bag handles to'the said handles handles from double cooperating therewith, to formvand fasten said bag handles each to the top of a'bag, means for holding in operative position and guiding said handles to said machine, and means for guiding said bag top to stapling position.

8. In an apparatus for making and securing bag handles,-a base, means for cutting out bag inserted between said layers.

for making and securing 9. In an. apparatus bag handles, a base, a die for cutting out bag thicknesses of material means mounted upon said base the layers of said handles, and

stapling machine, and means for guiding said bag top to the bag handle in stapling position.

11. In an apparatus for making and bag handles, a base, means for handle from a. single thickness of material mounted thereon, and means mounted on said base for fasteningsaid bag handle to the top of making and securing a bag. I

12. In an apparatus for dies, a base, a die for cutting out a bag 13. In an apparatus for making. and securing bag handles, a base, means for mounting and permitting to be unrolled thereon a roll of sheet material, means secured to said base foreutting out has handles from said sheet material, and

a-baz.

RODERICK S. CLANCY.

cutting out a bag on said base adjacent thereto for fastening said bag handles each to the top of a 

